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Thursday, August 29, 2013

2013 Wisconsin Badgers Football Preview

It’s
been eight long months since the last week Badger football game week. Thankfully
the wait is over. Through the season I’ll be previewing/reviewing Badger games.
To start things off, a full season preview is in order (and also because UMass is
a 45 point underdog and doesn't warrant a full blown preview). The three time
defending Big Ten Champions have plenty of talent to contend, but with a new
coaching staff and a few question marks on both sides of the ball there is a
lot left to learn about the 2013 Badger squad.

Offense Preview

Let’s
start with what we know. The Badgers will run the football. A lot. They will
also be extremely

White and Gordon look to continue running through defenses

successful at it. Led by James White and Melvin Gordon the
Badgers have the best running back tandem in the conference and one of the top
in the country, a quick review of the Big Ten Title game of last year will
squash doubts of that. The offensive line will be slightly revamped needing to
replace stalwarts Travis Frederick and Ricky Wagner, but at Wisconsin you don’t
rebuild the offensive line, you reload. Another strength of this squad is at
TE. Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig declared there are 4 starting caliber
tight ends on the roster in Jacob Pedersen, Brian Wozniak, Brock DeCicco and
Sam Arneson. I expect all will be used in various formations and game
situations. With all that talent, the tight ends will be counted on heavily in the
passing game to take some pressure off of wide receiver Jared Abbrederis. No one
should expect the offense to suddenly transform into the aerial assault of the
Greatest Show on Turf. But an offense like the one in 2010 led by ultra-efficient Scott Tolzien when
the Badgers averaged 200 yards passing and rushing per game is very
possible.

And now
for that which remains to be seen. The biggest unknown entering fall camp was
who would emerge as the starting QB. Head coach Gary Andersen has been adamant the official starter will
be known on the first offensive snap against UMass. Joel Stave and Curt
Phillips have separated from Tanner McEvoy for now and were listed as
co-starters on the depth chart released Monday. Whoever takes the first snap
this Saturday, I expect both will see action and the first two games will
effectively be used an extension of the fall camp competition. Wide receiver
is another position where someone has to develop opposite Abbrederis. The
receiving corps is mostly intact from last year with the addition of freshman
Rob Wheelright and redshirt freshman Alex Ericson. Both Wheelright and Ericson have
worked into the rotation along with Abbrederis, Jordan Fredrick and Kenzel Doe.
As noted previously, the depth at tight end might limit the opportunities in
multiple receiver formations unless someone provides a more consistent option. Also keep an eye on Tanner McEvoy. Surpassed in the QB battle,
McEvoy athletic ability is intriguing enough to warrant considering as a receiver in
the red zone or other situational packages.

*Obligatory
mention that although no offensive lineman were noted here, they are all stars and their efforts are
not forgotten.

Defensive Preview

New
defensive coordinator Dave Aranda loves to pressure opposing teams. In previous
stops at Utah State and Hawaii he has lead defenses ranked near the top of NCAA
in sacks and sack percentage. The switch in philosophy from 4-3 to 3-4 fits the
Badgers personnel nicely. The defensive line anchored by Beau Allen will need
to eat up space and blockers for the stable of outside pass rushers. Starting
with Chris Borland, the Badgers have several linebackers capable of rushing the
passer. But more importantly, Aranda’s defensive philosophy will allow for more
aggressive, attacking defense. Expect a lot more plays like this one from Chris
Borland last year against Nebraska.(actually you probably won’t see many like
that – it was ridiculous). The front seven is deep, experienced
and will be the strength of defense.

In order
for the blitz to be effective though, the secondary will need to adjust to more press man coverage and overall physical play. This
could be a tall task for a group that will replace three of four starters from
last season. The inexperience in the secondary could be partially negated simply through lack of opponent passing proficiency. Below are the 2013 Badger opponents and their
offensive ranks in rushing and passing yards last year. Only Indiana ranked in the
top 35 in the country in passing yards per game. The Badgers do not have a NFL
passing caliber QB on the docket this year (sorry OSU fans Braxton Miller is
not feared due to his arm).

As inexperienced as the secondary may be entering the season, they may not be tested very often, especially if the blitz happy Aranda can terrorize quarterbacks as expected.

Gary
Andersen has done an outstanding job so far in taking over the program. From
blasting music

Gary Andersen with classic visor look

throughout practice to introducing the ‘big brother’ program matching upperclassmen with first year players, seemingly every decision has been
a hit with players and fans. For me one of the biggest things was
involving Tanner McEvoy at wide receiver after he fell behind in the
quarterback race. Finding a spot on the field for the most talented players is
something most coaches preach in theory but rarely practice. Andersen quickly won over players through his genuine demeanor, often calling players out of the blue to check in on their lives. At practice Andersen sometimes participates in drills(he was a center when he played) and organizes impromptu dance offs. "That stuff is fun for the kids," Andersen said. "I think it brings energy and excitement. You get out there for recruiting, if I am a player, I want to have fun playing football."Obviously his ultimate test will be results
on the field during fall Saturdays, but signs point to continued football
success for the Badgers under Andersen.

Season Preview and Predictions

2013 Schedule

8/31 UMass

W

9/7 Tennessee
Tech

W

9/14 at Arizona
State

W

9/21 Purdue

W

9/28 at Ohio
State

L

10/5 OPEN DATE

10/12
Northwestern

W

10/19 at
Illinois

W

10/26 OPEN DATE

11/2 at Iowa

L

11/9 BYU

W

11/16 Indiana

W

11/23 at
Minnesota

W

11/30 Penn State

W

Gary
Andersen and staff arrive in Madison amid unusual circumstances for the
program. On one hand, the Badgers have been to three straight Rose Bowls,
return 15 starters but are considered a distance second to Ohio State in the Leaders Division Additionally, the
2013 schedule sets up nicely without a super challenging non-conference slate while
avoiding Michigan, Michigan St. and Nebraska within the conference. Expectations
are high in Madison and anything less than a 9-3 record will be and should be
considered a disappointment. The season effectively boils down to the September
28 showdown against Ohio State in Columbus. If the Badgers can win that game
they will be in the driver’s seat for the division and will end up in another BCS bowl game. However I
see the Badgers bowing out to the Buckeyes and dropping one other unexpected
game on the road, most likely at Iowa where they have traditionally struggled.
Badgers also cannot overlook Arizona State. Opening with UMass and Tennessee
Tech will not be much of a challenge, playing in Tempe at night will be the
first test of the season. The verdict for this team is 10-2 and another New
Year’s Day Bowl game.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.- Neal Olson (@olewr7) Follow
us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers,
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